The herring runs are starting to come to life, and some bigger holdover bass are noticing. The local TMA’s are providing good fishing as we await opening day.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
The Frances Fleet in Narragansett was finally able to take a break from being tied up to the docks and got out after some cod on Saturday. Fishing was on the slow side, but the guys marked plenty of bait and are confident that things will turn around when the wind machine lets up. Things are looking better for the weekend, and the fleet is hoping to sail after Friday’s rain. Be sure to check in for an updated sailing schedule and timing.
Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, reported that the local carp fishing remains red hot, with some of the regulars continuing to take fish in the 20-pound class this week. Freshwater bass fishing continues to improve throughout the Ocean State, with fish getting more active as the waters warm. Good perch bites continue to be reported from Turner Reservoir and the Narrow River, and the calico seem to be chewing pretty much anywhere that they are found. The local herring runs are starting to see more fish, and over the past few days anglers are reporting that some bigger holdover bass are starting to take notice. The next few weeks should be very good in terms of finding some bigger holdover fish following the herring, and we should be nearing the arrival of some fresh fish out front very soon. Opening day is right around the corner, and Dave will have the shop renovated and ready to go for all the festivities.
Connecticut Fishing Report
At Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, Andrew reported that the striped bass interest seems to be perking up quite a bit over the past few days. The Housatonic continues to produce some good fish, where schoolies are prevalent and some bigger fish to 20 pounds are being found upriver on the first push of herring. The lower Connecticut River tributaries are also still holding a good deal of fish, but reports are that they are all on the smaller side. There haven’t been many reports of herring, but Andrew bets that the first push is now arriving in the lower CTR. The lower river coves are now free of skim ice, and hopefully the white perch fishing will pick back up as the temperatures rise. The Salmon River TMA is still producing some very nice trout, specifically some big rainbows. The shop will be back to the regular hours on April 1st, and Andrew will have his annual opening day festivities, as well as helping out with the carp conference; which is slated for opening day in Middletown as well.
At Rivers End in Old Saybrook, Joe said that their annual Surf Day was a great success, and they may have had their best turnout yet! We still may be a few weeks away from peak spring fishing, but as the warming trend continues, so should the improvement in local waters. Pike, schoolie bass, white perch and calicos are all chewing in the lower river, but they have been spotty at best. Last weeks’ cold weather certainly had something to do with that, and they all should see an uptick by the weekend. Joe also mentioned that anglers have been reporting strong catches in the Salmon River, so it appears that TMA is a great pre-opening day option.
Ian, at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk reports that the Housatonic remains the number one interest for anglers in the western part of the state. Water temps are still on the cold side, so anglers are having the best success fishing jigs very slowly. As the water warms, more herring should enter the river, and the bigger bass will start to take notice. Winter flounder will kick off on April 1st, and usually garners some good interest from anglers in the area. In the freshwater, the local TMAs are seeing better flows and good fishing, while anglers at the reservoir are starting to see improved trout and walleye numbers.
Torrey, at Upcountry Sportfishing in Pine Meadow, reported that the best fishing in the Farmington remains in the recently stocked areas, specifically from Whittemore to the dam. In the permanent catch and release area, numbers aren’t as great but the fish have generally been much better quality. Total flow in the C&R area in Barkhamsted is a nice and easily wadeable 258cfs, and access has now been restored at most parking areas with the recent snow melt. Overall, smaller flies, especially Midge Pupa/Larva sz 18-20, are doing the best. This is especially true upriver in Riverton. Midge have been the most active bug of late, so no surprise there. With milder temps coming now, you should see the Stonefly hatching ramp up, with the somewhat bigger #14-16 Early Black & Early Brown Stones joining the black micro stones (sz 20-24) we’ve been seeing. With normal flows here lately, some larger sized nymphs (#14-16) are working, along with the smaller #18-20 Midge Pupa/Larva & Pheasant Tails that have been so effective the past month. Even some good reports on big #8 Mop flies lately too, especially on the recent stockers. Bigger Stones #8-12 are pulling less but bigger fish. Streamers have been very productive lately. Experiment with colors & retrieves to find what’s best at any given moment (it changes). I would also try to make your presentations mostly slow & deep due to the cooler water temps, both swinging and slow retrieves are good choices. Torrey also mentioned that they are now back to their normal hours, 8am-6pm weekdays, 6am-5pm weekends.
Rhode Island Fishing Forecast
We seem to be getting closer to some normal spring patterns, and before long we should see some real numbers of herring and the first push of fresh striped bass in our waters. In the meantime, the holdover bass are waking up and starting to take notice of the first pods of herring to enter their runs. Largemouth bass fishing and trout action in the TMA’s has been good in both states, while an uptick in pike and white perch action can be expected this week as well.